Electric switch



C. CHRISTENSEN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5.1917- 1,349,873; PatentedAug.17,1920.

h'fivent or: Christen Christensen,

His o ttorneg.

UNITED (STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTEN CHRISTENSEN,- OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T GENERAL rELECTRIC COMPANY, AL'CORPORATIQIN OF NEW YORK.

To allewhom it may concern:

,Be it knownthat I, C n s'rE Cnnrsrnm SEN, a citizen of the'UnitedStates, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New;York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricSwitches, of which the following. is a specification.

My invention relates to electric switches and has for its objecttoprovide an 1m proved electric switch of the o1l-break type in" which aplurality"'ofbreaksnoccur'1n a common oil receptacle and in which themlnals of the switch through the usual conmultiple breaks occursimultaneously. In previous; types of multlple break, oil typeswitches,t e breaks have occurred in sefparate oil vessels, and due to thestructure 0 the switches it has been diiiicult to operatethesame so thatthe breaks would.

occur simultaneously, the initial break takin place under the fullcapacity of: the cir-,

cult and undercurrents/causing heavy explosions beneath the oil andburning of the contacts. a

In my improved multiple switch,

two double break switch elementsarecombined in a common o1l vessel, eachelement having a separate actuating mechan sm,

which mechanisms are interlocked or'inten, connected so that both movein synchronlsm to cause the four breaks toalwaysoccur simultaneously inseries. For controlling the interconnected mechanisms, Iprovide a'common control or operating means.-

. The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of myinvention will be indicated in the claims appended hereto, whilethe'featuresof construction and mode of operation will be'understoodl byreference to the following description taken 111; connection with'theaccompanying drawmgs, 1n which: I f

Figure l showsa frontelevation of an electric switch embodying thefeatures oi my invention; Fig. 2 is aperspectiveview of the connectionfor the contacts of the switch, and Fig. 3 is a modification showing analternate connection.

prises an oil tank 1 provided with acove'r and casing'3. Within thecasing 3 1s mounted two switch elements, each comprising a pair ofinsulatingbushings 4,. 5 and 6, 7 which extend into the oil tank 11respectively locatedv beneath the surface In Fig. 1 the switch of my.invention com- 1 and carrythe usual fixed contact members 8 9 10 and:

ELECTRIC swrrcn.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug; 1'7, 192() Applicationfiled July 5, 1917. Serial No. 178,558.

of the oil. One fixed contactof each pair or of each switch element isconnected with one terminal for the switch carried by one of thebushings'tgor 5 and 6 or 7, and the other fixed contacts for each switchelement are connected together by a permanent connection or conductor 12to connect the contacts of each switch element in series and provide aswitch having four breaks in series. The arrangement of the bushings andcontacts are best shown in Fig. 2 in which contacts 8 and 11 areconnected to the terducting rods carried by the bushings 4, and '7,respectively, such terminals 13 and 14 beingshown in Fig. 3. Thecontacts 9 and 10 are connected by vconductor 12. Cooperating with eachpair of fixed contacts 8, 9 and 10, 1.1 are movable bridging or contactmembers 15 and 16, respectively, which are carried by insulatingoperating rods 17 and 18 longitudinally movable between the bushingst,5' and 6, 7 respectively, by separate motion mechanism 22 including uidelinks 23land 24, respectively. The ulde link 23 for actuating mechanism19 1s preferably made in'the form of bell crank.

In order that the movable bridging members 15 and 16 may disengage withtheir cooperate fixed contacts 8, 9 and 10, 11 simultaneously to producefour breaks in series, theseparate actuating mechanisms 19 and 20controlling the movable contacts 15 and 16, are arranged to movesimultaneously or in synchronism by an interlocking or .con-

'necting member 25 between theine'chanisms 19 and 20. This connectingmemberor rod 2 5 is pivotally secured at one end to the bell crankmember 23 ofvactuating mechanism 19 and at the other end toan arm 40secured to shaft 27 to which shaft, the Operating link 26 of actuatingmechanism 20 is connected, so that the movement of one actuatingmechanism is transmitted to the other mechanism and both mechanisms movein unison, the movement of the mechanisms causing a reciprocatorymovement of the member 25. T

For controlling the switch, I provide acommon operating mechanismconnected to one of the actuating mechanisms 19 or 20, for instance, tomechanism 20 as shown in Fig. I. This operating mechanism may be of thegeneral type well known in the oil switch art and may comprise, forexample, an operating link 26 adapted to rotate a shaft 27 operativelyrelated to the actuating mechanism 20, the movement of the operatinglink 26 taking place through atog gle 28, 29 controlled by an operatingarm 30, only a portion of which is shown, which may be either hand orsolenoid operated.

In Fig. 1 the switch parts are shown in their closed position. When theoperating mechanism is moved to switch opening position, the actuatingmechanisms 19 and 20 are both moved in synchronism by means ofconnecting member 25 and the movable contact members 15 and 16simultaneously moved out of engagement with their respective fixedcontacts 8, 9 and 10, 11 to produce four breaks in series as is wellunderstood in the art.

In Fig. 3, I have shown a construction for obtaining tour breaks inseries which instead of using a conductor 12 between the fixed contacts9 and 10 inside the oil vessel as shown in Fig. 2, a conductor 31 is connected outside the oil vessel between two terminal members 32 and 33carried by the bushings 5 and 6, respectively, and in conductiverelation with the contacts 9 and 10, respectively. p

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I havedescribed the principle of operation of my invention, together with theapparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof;but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is onlyillustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is,

1. An electric switch comprising two'pairs of fixed contacts, separatemovable contacts cooperating with eachpair of fixed contacts, means forconnecting said contacts in series, a common vessel containing oilinclosing said contacts, separate actuating mechanisms for independentlycontrolling said movable contacts supported by said oil vessel, andmeans for moving said independent actuatin'g'mechanisms in synchronismwhereby as the switch opens four breaks simultaneously occur 1n series.

2. An electric switch comprising two pairs of fixed contacts, separatemovable contacts adapted to connect each pair of fixed contacts, acommon vessel containing oil inclosing said contacts, a permanentconductor between one of each. pair of fixed contacts,

separate actuating mechanisms for independently controlling said movablecontacts supported by said independent o'il vessel, and a memberinterconnecting said actuating mechanisms for causing them to move insynchronism whereby said movable contacts simultaneously breakengagement with their fixed contacts to provide four breaks in series.

3. In an electric switch, the combination with two pairs of fixedcontacts, movable contact members adapted to engage each pair of fixedcontacts, a permanent connection in conductive relation with one of eachof said pairs of contacts, a circuit terminal connected with the otherone of each of said pairs of fixed contacts, a common vessel containingoil inclosing said contacts, separate actuating mechanisms forindependently controlling said movable contact members oppositelydisposed on the top of said oil vessel, a common operating means forsaid mechanisms, and a member interconnecting said independent actuatingmechanisms to cause said mechanisms to move in synchronism whereby assaid switch opens sa'id movable contacts simultaneously disengage withtheir respective fixed contacts to produce four breaks in series.

4. In an electric switch, the combinatioi' with two switch elements eachelement including cooperating fixed and movable contacts" and anindependent actuating mechanism therefor, of means for connecting saidcontacts in series, a common vessel containing oil inclosing thecontacts of said switch elements, a cover for said oil vessel upon whichthe actuating mechanisms for said switch elements are oppositelymounted, a common operating means for said mechanisms, and a connectionbetween said independent actuating mechanisms for moving them insynchronism.

5. An electric switch comprising two switch elements each comprisingcooperating fixed and movable contacts and an indep'edent actuatingmechanism therefor,-of a connection between said contacts to providefour breaks in series, a:- common vessel containing oil inclosing saidcontacts, a'n operating means in common to said actuating mechanism, anda rigid connection between said actuating mechanisms for moving the samein synchronismwhereby as the switch is opened four breaks occursimultaneously in series.

6. A four break electric switch comprising two independently movablecontact members, a pairof fixed contacts cooperating \vit-lreach' ofsaid movable contacts, a pernism therefor, of a common oil vessel forinclosing said contact members, means connecting the contacts of saidswitch elements in series and means interconnecting the operatingmechanisms of said switches to cause their movement in synchronismwherebya plurality of breaks occur simultaneously in series as theswitch-is opened.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my v hand this 29th day of J une,1917.

CHRISTEN CHRISTENSEN.

